A TAXI driver has been forced to give up work claiming hoodie-wearing thugs are making his life a misery.

Mohammed Ashraf has decided to speak out after weeks of torment at the hands of a 20-strong gang, some of whom are as young as 12.

The 49-year-old says that he and his family have been subjected to racist abuse since they moved into their terraced house in Buckley View, Smallbridge, and are too scared to go outside in case they are attacked by the gang.

Mr Ashraf, who lives with his wife Robina, aged 34 and their four children, aged two, five, 13 and 15, says he has been forced to stop work as a driver for Central Taxis after his car was attacked three times in a week.

And he has asked Rochdale Boroughwide Housing to find the family another home.

Trouble flared on Tuesday night when the front and rear windscreens were smashed. The gang returned on Wednesday night to throw stones at the family's terraced house.

On Thursday police were called again when the gang smashed the replacement car windows and repeatedly kicked the vehicle.

Mr Ashraf said: "Since we moved into our house we have had kids knocking on our doors, swearing at us, using racist language and calling us all kind of names. My children are crying every day because of the abuse.

"They are even afraid of going into our kitchen in case they are spotted by the gang through the window.

"It is always the same gang and they wear hoodie tops to cover their faces.

"When the attacks happened I sent my children upstairs and told them to keep their bedroom doors shut.

"My wife is asthmatic and she is getting worse from the abuse. We are both suffering from stress because of it.

"We feel like we are living in a cage. We don't want to stay another minute in that house."

Mr Ashraf says he is unable to work because he cannot afford to pay the £1,000 repair costs to his car.

A spokeswoman for Rochdale Boroughwide Housing said they were due to meet with police and Mr Ashraf to discuss options available to him and how they can best tackle the problem with the youths.

She said: "We have already given the police names of some of the offenders and we are doing the best we can to help.

"It is obviously a concern for Mr Ashraf and we will look at the options available to him."

A police spokeswoman said a 15-year-old boy had been arrested and bailed until 7 January, pending further inquiries.